SomersTownLisa

London Life
2020-03-19 23:01:02 (UTC)

Life is Difficult

If life is difficult now, without my usual evenings of films, gigs, plays, football, volunteering and meals out, I live in fear that the Government will introduce a curfew as is happening in France, Italy and Spain, which would possibly drive me insane. There were rumours that London would be put into lock down and the Tubes closed, but nothing transpired, though there is some kind of emergency legislation going through next week. It won't help if some people ignore instructions and go to pubs and cafes as usual. It was reported on Radio London that cafes were busy in Forest Hill, and we saw some busy ones in Parkway today. There still seem to be quite a few people using the Tube, and Elina is travelling in to Pimlico for her hair appointment tomorrow.

We are only going to places where we can eat outside, and some cafes like Pret are offering take-away only, which seems right. Yesterday we went down to the Lock, which was much quieter than usual, and got pies at Young Vegans, but Jack was out with his friend today and saw that it's now closed, though I took a pie home so had it for lunch today.

Last night I made some one-pan spicy rice but oddly felt too tired to do anything else and sat with Jack to watch a BBC4 programme about King Arthur making accommodation with the Vikings to unify the pre-Norman kingdoms of England. I went on a run up Primrose Hill earlier, the first for a week, and I was relieved that my injured foot seemed all right.

We had a work on-line team meeting yesterday, while today we had our first daily "coffee morning" using video, comparing each other's home work spaces. I showed them the view from the window and told them I'd gone into the office on Monday evening. Julie said they emptied out the fridge, and I realised I hadn't picked up my soya milk (and salad relish) when I collected the fruit from my drawer.

I don't think some of my colleagues' lives will have changed as much as mine, if they stay at home in the evenings anyway, and don't mind working from home. I was trying to get over to them that I had lost my life, that I would have been at football last night and the theatre tonight.

After Jack finished with his friend we had a walk in Regent's Park and back along the canal. I booked the crazy golf which was still being advertised, but when we got there the office was closed, so we couldn't get our clubs and balls.

We got a big ciabatta/pizza type thing from a stall and went upstairs at the station for a coffee. There were still a lot of people about, though judging by the bags, most were going on long, presumably long-planned trips.

After spending too much time in both Waitroses, we had some hot cross buns, and strawberries and cream, and watched Monty Python's The Life of Brian, which I'd been meaning to do for ages..

The football leagues and the FA bowed to the inevitable and postponed all matches a further four weeks until the end of April. The Championship clubs have unanimously pledged that the current season will eventually be finished. Meanwhile scientists at Oxford and Salisbury think they might have a vaccine ready in small doses within a few weeks. They are also making some progress in Germany and China.




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